Connie Sylvanus
LS521 Sp02
Silicon Snake Oil
Reaction Paper
Silicon Snake Oil is the title of a book written by Mr. Clifford Stoll. This book discusses the impact the computer and telecommunication has had on society.
Mr. Stoll has worked in the technology community for many years. Many of the ideas raised in the excerpts I read from his book are thought provoking.
One of the issues Mr. Stoll is very concerned about is the lack of personal contact one has in this age of telecommunication. He continues on that many people spend so much time behind the computer that many do not have many opportunities to have face to face contacts. This negative aspect of telecommunication is supported by
Darren Stevens, a technology teacher. Mr. Stevens reviewed Mr. Stoll’s book and agreed with Mr. Stoll that too many people are sitting behind their computers for long periods of time and not communicating with real humans. Mr. Stevens also stated that people working at home through the computer had problems leaving the computer and interacting with their families. I also see this as a problem with our teenagers. They really enjoy instant messaging each other. They are communicating with each other but are they learning how to socially interact with each other?
The positive aspects of telecommunication and the Internet are many. The Internet provides opportunities for people who are handicapped or have a difficult time getting out to use the Internet to communicate with others. Educationally, the Internet provides students the opportunity to communicate with children and others from around the world, an opportunity they may not have with regular communication. Teachers and parents need to monitor children’s time with a computer. I think a daily limit of computer time is appropriate for all aged children. I also think we need to encourage children to converse with each other. Several activities used in school such cooperative learning promote verbal interaction.
Another aspect of concern raised by Mr. Stoll is the amount of money used by public education for technology in classroom. Mr. Stoll feels public education is doing society an injustice in spending public dollars for technology. He would like to see the money spent on field trips and more books for the library. This issue of how much money should be spent on technology is a current problem being discussed in my school district. There is not enough money to support the art curriculum, but there is enough money to put in a new email system. Also how much money should go into buying ebooks for the library? Mr. Stoll feels, somewhat like I do, that books should be enjoyed the old-fashioned way by holding them in ones hand. The positive aspect about technology in public education is that it allows students one more tool to use for research. Another reviewer of Mr. Stoll’s book, Roy McGreal, an executive director of a distance education network, raised the issue that today’s work place requires computer knowledge. By not affording students experience with computers, the public educational system is not preparing the students for the future workplace. Mr. McGreal also discusses the motivation computers provide in the classroom. Technology does afford the children not only with a different resource for research but a different mode for learning information. The computer is here to stay and as educators we need to see how we can best use it as a tool, a resource.
The book Silicon Snake Oil has some fascinating ideas. In my opinion, I think Mr. Stoll ideas, though interesting, are somewhat unrealistic and dated. Our society changes with time due to the influences of technology and new ideas.